I need to be sure before I make any more changes.

I had 2 logical drives on a windows 2000 pro machine, C: and D:

I needed to drop and recreate D so I moved everything from the drive and then deleted the partition.

Disk management said do what's in the image, i.e., edit boot.ini. So I did.

This is my new boot.ini after reboot.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

This give a choice and their is no OS on (1). I just want to boot straight to windows.

If I read your post correctly... you "had" a W2K installation on the c: drive and assorted whatever on the d: drive? You then effectively removed/deleted the d: drive - then reconfigured it. And presumably the OS is still on the c: drive?

In the ARC system of labelling etc. drives/partitions... disk numbering starts with (0), partitions start with (1).

Your boot.ini says you have one drive (0) with two partitions (1) and (2). The OS is said to be on partition (2) - which would normally be d: - not c: ?

So is the OS actually on the second partition (2) = d: - or is it on partition (1) = c: ? And where was the OS originally when you had both original partitions intact? And did you actually re-install the OS afresh (the only installation present now) to whichever?

Useful to be clear what was where originally and what is where now...

Rather get that clear before suggesting what to change in the boot.ini...

"I had 2 logical drives "
No you had two primary partitions. Logical drives only exist in an extended partition.

These statement conflict/opposite of each other

"I needed to drop and recreate D so I moved everything from the drive and then deleted the partition."

and

"This give a choice and their is no OS on (1). "

The first partition is (1). You wiped (2)so d: i.e. partition 2 doesn't exist.

Question is what was on d:??? What did you move? Just data or was this where the winnt folder existed? Or were you multibooting both partitions?

If you are only booting (1) your boot.ini should look as follows;

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Once you know this works you can change the timeout=30 to timeout=0 and you will go straight into W2K

Imagine the power if you knew how to internet search

Appears the OP originally had Win2000 installed twice. Hopefully they both worked.

shaypete

What did you do when you "recreate D so I moved everything from the drive and then deleted the partition".

You make no mention of what you did after deleting the partition. If nothing was done then you should have space that needs to be partitioned and formatted.

t'is a very konphusing CFH is it not?

I had data only on the D drive which I backed up. Then in Disk management I deleted the partition. Then I got the message to edit boot.ini, which I did and then rebooted. Upon reboot, it's looks to me like boot.ini is pointing to somewhere that has no OS because if I boot to this default I get the no ntoskrnl missing error.

I auto-reboot every night so now in the morning the machine is sitting there will the ntoskrnl message on the screen and a non functioning computer.

This is what I get at boot up.

Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Windows 2000 (Default)

I have to manually select option 1. There was only ever one OS on the computer, on the C drive.

This is what I have:

Disk 0 (only disk) 40GB

Partition (not assigned) 1.8GB
Partition C 10GB - Windows
Partition D 26GB - Data (empty)

Thanks for the answers.

Your boot.ini "should" resemble the example Wanderer has given you. The key items being partition(1) in both default OS to boot and the line below referring to W2K. But this would presume that the first (not necessarily the only) Primary on the drive - is c: ; and that this does hold the OS/system files etc.

That you have to manually select option-1 - which points to the second partition on the drive... does suggest there is another one ahead of it...; and that is also where to boot/startup files may reside...?

So first... If you boot with a '98 bootdisk - and run the Fdisk routine... and inspect partitioning... what type of partition is c: ? Is it a Primary - and is it set to active; or is it a logical-drive (in the extended partition space? Also what is the nature (type) of that small "unassigned" partition; is that another Primary - even if it's unformatted; and is it actually physically ahead of c: (i.e. first on) on the drive?

Post back with info first before we proceed with next poossible steps to resolve it all.

Thanks. I'll have a look around for a bootdisk.

Would this do:

[boot loader]
timeout=5
[operating systems]
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

bootdisk.com - download an image (get one with CDROM drivers and format command included - the latter already expanded). Expand the "image" to a floppy and use that floppy.

partition 2 = d:
partition 1 = c:

According to this
"Partition C 10GB - Windows
Partition D 26GB - Data (empty)"

Your winnt folder is on c: so that would make your boot.ini as I first posted.

correct accordingly. after all you didn't have any issues until you edited the boot.ini right?

Are you ready for where Microsoft wants you to go today?

Rather than risking it, just go into System Properties and tell the boot loader not to display a choice of OSes. Simple, and beats risking it for a biscuit.

At present the boot.ini default is to a non-existent OS installation; so by-passing the choice at boot up will not resolve his problem?

Oh. I misunderstood. It isn't that hard, just swizzle the numbers round. He'll get it eventually...

true; but there is little nagging issue of what he thinks he had, what he actually has now, and what he thinks he had/has... etc. Wanderer gave him a sample/working copy of a boot.ini - but who knows where it (and he) is at now? (only The Shadow knows...)

This is true.

Probably got it fixed and thought the money we make here was enough compensation, no thanks required.

Yeah, I hate it when people don't come back >.<

You mean people can make money doing this???

trvlr

You mean justin isn't paying YOU. He pays me 100% below minimum wage.